Safety elevator device.



R. D. CLARK.

SAFETY ELEVATOR DEVICE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED MAR. 24, 1911.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

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R. D. CLARK.

SAFETY ELEVATOR DEVICE.

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SAFETY ELEVATOR DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. CLARK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at 219 Peter street, Duquesne, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Elevator Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to safety elevator devices, and the objects of my invention are,

first, to furnish an elevator cage with positive and reliable means to prevent a sudden descent of the same should the hoisting cables thereof break; second, to provide a safety device for elevators that is automatic in its action and free from injury by ordinary use, and third, to accomplish the above results by a mechanical construction that is simple, easy to install and highly eflicient for the purposes for which it is intended.

WVith the above and other objects in view the invention resides in a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the safety device as applied to an elevator cage, showing it in an inactive position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device in an active position. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 4- is a similar view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2, and Figs. 5 and 6 are de tail views of modified forms of gripping wheels.

The reference numerals 1 denote the vertical frames of an elevator shaft or well and secured to the confronting sides of these frames are vertical T rails 2. Movable between the rails 2 is an elevator cage, comprising a transverse top beam 3, a bottom beam 4 and vertical channel bars 5 connecting said beams, said beams and bars constituting the main frame work of a conventional form of elevator cage.

The beam 3 has the side walls thereof, in .termediate the ends connected by a web 6 and movably mounted in said web is the depending reduced end 7 of a yoke 8, said yoke Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 24, 1911.

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

Serial No. 616,670.

having the upper end thereof provided with an apertured lug 9 to which is connected one end of a hoisting cable 10. The lower end of the yoke is provided with a cup shaped washer 11 and a nut 12 or other holdfast device, and encircling the reduced end 7 of the yoke 8, between the cup shaped washer 11 and the web 6 is a coiled compression spring 13. The hoisting cable 10 is adapted to extend over hoisting drums not shown and under a revoluble sheave 14;, revolubly mounted upon a transverse bolt 15, carried by the yoke 8.

Loosely engaging the transverse bolt 15 are the longitudinally slotted arms 16 of levers 17, said arms being mounted upon the bolt 15 between the sheave lat and the yoke 8. The levers 17 are pivotally mounted upon transverse pins 18 mounted in the beam 3 adjacent to the ends thereof, and the lower ends of said levers are enlarged, as at 19 and bifurcated, as at 20 to accomn1odate eccentrically mounted gripping wheels 21 having the peripheries thereof toothed or roughened, as at 22, for a purpose that will presently appear.

The enlarged lower ends of the levers 17 have apertured lugs 23 and pivotally connected to said lugs by pins 24 are sectional vertical rods 25 having the sections thereof adjustably connected together, as at 26 somewhat similar to a turnbuckle. The rods 25 extend through tubes or housings 27 arranged between the beams 3 and 4:, and the lower ends of said rods are loosely connected, as at 28 to the upper ends of levers 29 pivotally mounted upon transverse pins 80, carried by the beam 4. The outer ends of the levers 29 are provided with eccentrically mounted gripping wheels 31 similar to the wheels 21.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a modified form of gripping wheel which is indicated at 21 and is provided with a V-shaped groove. In Fig. 6 another modified form of gripping wheel is illustrated and which is indicated by the reference character 21 and cage, in proximity to the rails, whereby a very slight movement of said grlpplng wheels will immediately place the wheels in position to serve the purpose for which they are intended.

l/Vhen the hoisting cable 10 breaks, the upper ends of the levers 17, which are slotted and loosely mounted upon the bolt 15, will be released and lowered through the medium of the compression spring 13. In consequence of such release, the outer ends of the levers 17 and 29 will be elevated, carrying the wheels 21 and 3l into engagement with the guide rails 2. The sudden release of the elevator cage tends to throw or revolve the gripping wheels 21 and 31., whereby they will frictionally engage the rails 2 and be in position to wedge and positively hold the cage relatively to the rails 2 after it has been released.

The frame work of the elevator cage is of a conventional form and the safety device herein illustrated and described can be embodied in any form of elevator cage by providing the tubes or housings 27 that prevent passengers or the operator of the cage from interfering with the automatic operation of the device when the hoisting cable breaks.

The invention is susceptible to such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A safety device for elevators comprising the combination with guide rails, a vertically movable cage arranged between said rails, a hoisting cable for the cage, and a web carried by the cage, of a yoke having the reduced lower end extending through said web, a washer supported upon the lower terminus of said reduced end, a spring surrounding the reduced end of said yoke and interposed between the web and said washer, a bolt carried by the enlarged portion of said yoke, a sheave on said bolt, said hoisting cable connected by one end to said yoke and extending around said sheave, levers having their inner and outer ends provided with forks, the arms of the forks at the inner ends of the levers being provided with elongated slots through which extends said bolt, means for pivotally connecting the forked outer ends with said cage, and gripping wheels mounted in the forked outer ends of said levers and adapted to engage said rails.

2. A safety device for elevators comprising the combination with guide rails, a vertically movable cage arranged between said rails, a hoisting cable for the cage, and a web carried by the cage, of. a yoke having the reduced lower end extending through said web, a washer supported upon the lower terminus of said reduced end, a spring surrounding the reduced end of said yoke and interposed between the web and said washer, a bolt carried by the enlarged portion of said yoke, a sheave on said bolt, said hoist-ing cable connected by one end to said yoke and extending around said sheave, levers having their inner and outer ends provided with forks, the arms of the folks at the inner ends of the levers being provided with elongated slots through which extends said bolt, means for pivotally connecting the forked outer ends with said cage, gripping wheels mounted in the forked outer ends of said levers and adapted to engage said rails, vertically disposed adjustable rods pivoted at their upper ends to the outer forked ends of said levers and extending through said cage, levers pivotally connected with-the cage and having their inner ends pivotally connected to the inner ends of said rods and having their outer ends forked, and gripping wheels mounted in the forked ends of the last mentioned levers and adapted to engage said rails.

3. A safety elevator device comprising the combination with guide rails, a vertically movable cage traveling between said rails, and a hoisting cable for the cage, of a web supported by the cage, a vertically disposed yoke extending through said web and carrying a washer, a spring surrounding the reduced end and interposed between the web and the washer, a bolt extending through said yoke above said web, a sheave pivotally mounted upon said bolt, said hoisting cable connected to the upper end of said yoke and extending around said sheave, levers pivoted near their outer ends with said cage and having their inner ends provided with forks extending into said yoke, the arms of said forks provided with elongated slots through which extends said bolt, and gripping elements carried by the outer ends of said levers and adapted to engage said rails.

4. A safety elevator devicecomprising the combination with guide rails, a vertically movable cage traveling between said rails, and a hoisting cable for the cage, of a web supported by the cage, a vertically disposed yoke extending through said web and carrying a washer, a spring surrounding the re duced end and interposed between the web and the washer, a bolt extending through said yoke above said web, a sheave pivotally mounted upon said bolt,s'aid hoisting cable connected to the'upper end .of'said yoke and extending around said sheave, levers pivoted near their outer ends with said cage and having their inner ends provided with forks extending into saidyoke, the arms of said forks provided with elongated slots through which extends said bolt, gripping elements carried by the outer ends ,of' said levers and adapted to engage said rails, le-

vers pivotally connected with the lower end 7 ments and having their upper ends pivotally in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

ROBERT D. CLARK.

Witnesses:

MAX H. SROLOVITZ, CHRISTINA T. H001).

connected to the first mentioned levers 1n proximity to the outer ends thereof.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signatfire 

